Sunday, 21 February 2010

Not much going on in the way of crafting right now as my focus is on getting the house ready for the Fabulous Forty Fiesta. I did manage to have a go at making Granola this weekend though. Coeliacs really struggle with breakfast cereals, almost everything but Cornflakes and Rice crispies are wheat based, and those that are oat based contain gluten from the oats being grown and processed in the neighbourhood of wheat.

I bought a huge bag of oats from Spoff, who seem now to have been taken over and the new link for products isn't available. Hopefully this will be sorted soon. Their oats are grown too far north for wheat to grow, and processed in a completely wheat free plant.

So, anyway. Granola is one of those fantastic things to make that you don't really need a recipe for, and you can completely customise it to suit your own tastes. I made mine with oats, some honey, maple syrup, a little sunflower oil, almonds, pecans and a handful of mixed seeds that I've used in the past to top bread. Mix it all together and bake in a low oven, stirring a couple of times til it's fairly uniformly golden brown. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. You can then mix it in with dried fruits to taste, like raisins, apricot, mango, anything really but be aware that these aren't completely dry and will reduce the storage life of your granola if you store it mixed.

Ah, but the party. Mexican theme, shopping is going well, the housework less so. I have three days off and some lovely people who've offered to assist so hopefully it won't be too bad.

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

This week I have volunteered to provide the UKScrappers Weekly Challenge and my theme, not surprisingly given the time of year, is Love. If you get a chance, have a look, or even better, have a go.

That's my layout, which was originally created for the Sugar and Spice blog. My next posting will be on Thursday if you're interested, it's always a good source of inspiration anyway.

The party plans for my 40th are well under way. Thought, to be fair, this mostly consists of shopping for fun stuff and a very small amount of tidying up. I do have three days off before the party and some willing helpers which is ace.

Wishing you all the best, and hoping you have a lovely valentines day, and remember, even if you're a Bridget Jones like me and don't have anyone to share the day with - take the time to pamper yourself. Be lovely to you, you're worth it! And if you are fortunate enough to have someone in your life, I hope you take the time to make them feel special.